PL T2.13Brushing Teeth
The toddler brushes their teeth first with a tiny smear of fluoride toothpaste, then the adult brushes all the teeth after them.
Safety
- For children under 3, use no more than a smear of fluoride toothpaste the size of a grain of rice (AAP and ADA); a pea-sized amount is for age 3 and older.
- Keep toothpaste out of the child's reach; the adult puts it on the brush.
- Each child has their own labeled brush, stored upright to air dry so brushes do not touch or drip on each other, and replaced every 3–4 months or when frayed (Caring for Our Children, Standard 3.1.5.1).
- The child brushes only while sitting or standing still, never walking with the brush in their mouth.
Presentation
- 1
Wash your hands. Put a smear of fluoride toothpaste the size of a grain of rice on the child's brush.
- 2
Invite the child to the sink and mirror. Say: 'Now we brush your teeth. You go first, then me.'
- 3
Show on your own teeth: small circles on the front teeth, then back and forth on the tops of the back teeth.
- 4
Hand the child their brush. Wait while they brush. Watching their own brushing in the mirror is the point of interest.
- 5
Say: 'Now it is my turn.' Wait for the child to open their mouth. Brush the front, back, and top of every tooth gently.
- 6
Invite the child to spit into the sink. Do not rinse the mouth with water after brushing.
- 7
Rinse the brush under the tap, tap it dry, and invite the child to put it bristles up in their labeled place on the rack.
Extensions, easiest to hardest
- Hold the brush and brush the front teeth for a longer time
- Spit into the sink without help
- Put the brush away in its labeled place without being reminded
- Brush at the table with a cup, as some programs do
Control of error
None in the material; the adult checks the teeth and finishes the brushing. The child can see food or foam left on the teeth in the mirror.
Ready to move on when the child…
- Opens their mouth for brushing without distress
- Brushes their own front teeth
- Lets the adult finish all surfaces
- Spits into the sink
Guide note
The AAP and ADA recommend fluoride toothpaste from the first tooth, in a rice-grain amount until age 3, because young children swallow most of it; a child who cannot yet spit may swallow this amount. Brushing twice a day, with the last brushing before bed at home, is the AAP advice. Where programs brush at school, check state rules; some require it for full-day care.